In brief: Flags at half-staff honor fallen Marine

Washington and U.S. flags were ordered to half-staff outside all state and Spokane municipal facilities Friday in remembrance of Marine Cpl. Joshua Barron.

A funeral for the 24-year-old Marine, who attended University High School and Spokane Community College, was Friday afternoon at Life Center Foursquare Church.

Barron died May 17 in an MV-22 Osprey crash during a military training exercise in Hawaii.

WSU Tri-Cities adds Wine Science Center

Washington State University’s wine science program now has an outpost in Richland.

The Ste. Michelle Wine Estates WSU Wine Science Center features laboratories and classrooms, a teaching winery and 2-acre vineyard, greenhouses, a Washington wine library, and an event space with a large atrium.

Named after the state’s largest winery, the Wine Science Center is the newest addition to the WSU Tri-Cities campus. Students and researchers in the viticulture and enology program, which has about 100 students, will begin working there in August. Students working on their bachelor’s and master’s degrees will be able to complete all of their coursework at the Tri-Cities campus.

The $23 million project was paid for with about $5 million from the state, $7.4 million from the Washington State Wine Commission, a $2 million federal grant and by numerous individual wineries. Ste. Michelle gave the remaining $500,000 needed to complete the 40,000-square-foot facility, which is built on land donated by the Port of Benton in Richland.

The winery’s president and chief operating officer, Ted Baseler, is a WSU alumnus and serves on the university’s board of regents.

The Wine Science Center was designed and constructed by several Spokane companies, including ALSC Architects, Lydig Construction, DCI Engineers and MW Consulting Engineers.

Early morning stop yields pounds of pot

A traffic stop on Interstate 90 in Coeur d’Alene netted more than 22 pounds of marijuana early Friday morning.

A caller reported a possible intoxicated driver on I-90 about 3:30 a.m., according to a news release from the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office. The car was pulled over by a deputy, who noticed the smell of marijuana coming from the car.

The female driver, identified as Domonique R. Adams-Swanson, of Seattle, was found to have several grams of heroin hidden on her body in addition to the 22 pounds of marijuana found in the car.

Adams-Swanson is facing charges of driving with a suspended license, trafficking in marijuana, trafficking in heroin and possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. Her passenger, Sylvester G. Byrd, of Tukwila, Washington, is facing charges of trafficking in marijuana and trafficking in heroin.

Man given life term at 14 may be freed

TACOMA – A Pierce County man who was sentenced to life in prison at age 14 after killing a Steilacoom marina owner will be eligible for parole in February.

A series of legal changes paved the way for the release of Barry Massey, the Tacoma News Tribune reported.

The state’s Indeterminate Sentence Review Board announced Thursday the 41-year-old, who has served more than 25 years in prison, will be eligible for release after completing a series of inmate classes about behavior, problem solving and social skills.

Massey also must submit a release plan that is acceptable to the state Department of Corrections, including where he will live.

In making its decision, the board determined Massey is not likely to commit more crimes if set free.

Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist said the opportunity for parole was required by a law that went into effect after a landmark 2012 U.S. Supreme Court decision involving cases where juveniles received automatic life sentences. The court ruled such sentences were unconstitutional because they constituted cruel and unusual punishment.

“I sympathize with the family, who are still struggling with the loss of a loved one, and I hope Mr. Massey uses this second chance to become a productive member of society,” Lindquist said.